Furniture rest or shoe



- May 13, 1930. w. F. HEROLD FURNITURE REST. on snon Filed Nov. 1928 5 4/ z r rm 1 m u a P 1 J w 9 W 6 H f j ,7 i m I a Z a m a. 2 x

I H I 9 (I IN VEN TOR.

NHLTER FHERULJJ.

BY Q Q ATTORNEY.

Patented May 13, 1930 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE WALTER F. I-IEROLD, 0F UPPER MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG NOR TO THE BASSICK COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPOBT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPQRATION OF CONNECTICUT FURNITURE REST OR SHOE Application filed November The present invention relates to an improved furniture rest or shoe, particularly of the type adapted to have a tilting action with respect to the furniture leg.

An object of the invention is to provide a rest adapted to be driven into the leg by hammer blows, and especially to provide a device which may be attached with great facility and accuracy, and by persons relatively unskilled in the use of tools. It is particularly proposed to provide a construction adapted to have a driving attachment rigidly connected to the part of the rest to be driven into the leg, in such relation that the same may be held and maintained in proper alignment during the driving operation, and the force of the hammer blows most effectively directed. 7

Another object is to provide a construction, which when driven into the leg will be firmly retained and held against pulling and twisting strains, and further to provide such a construction which may be driven into the end grain of wooden legs, without the danger of splitting or cracking them.

Further objects are to provide a device of simple construction, adapted to be economically produced by modern manufacturing methods, and which will be durable and reliable in use, and attractive in appearance.

With the above and other objects in View,

an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Fig. l is a side elevation of a furniture rest or shoe, according to the present embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 isa vertical sectional view, partly in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view showing the same about to be driven into a furniture leg, and with the driving attachment in place;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional View, showing the device driven into the furniture leg;

5, 1928. Serial No. 317,181.

Fig. 6 is a similar View showing the tilting position;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional detail view.

Referring to the drawings, the furniture rest or shoe, according to the present embodiment of the invention, comprises a base 10, preferably solid and formed of Bakelite or other suitable material, having a fiat floorengaging bottom surface 11, and an upper surface in the shape of a spherical dome 12, annularly shouldered at 13. A central opening '14 extends vertically through the base, be-

ing restricted, as at 15, to provide an annular shoulder, and being flared outwardly above said shoulder as at 16. The dome 12 is of a suitable radius to provide a curved seat for the tilting part of the device, and also to provide ample material to resist crushing stresses between the upper surface and the wall ofthe opening 14:.

The attaching means consists of a cup member comprising a cocavo-convex base 17 and an annular upturned wall 18 having a series of teeth 19, these teeth, as well as the edge of the wall 18 adapted to be driven into the leg, as shown in Fig. 5.

A tubular stud or pin 20, shouldered as at 21, is secured in the aperture of the cup member by swedging the pinto form a retaining flange 22, the shoulder 21 engaging beneath a centrally apertured concavo-convex metal Washer 23, of a diameter less than the base of the dome l2, and interposed between the dome and the cup member. The pin is loosely engaged for tilting movement in the opening 14 of the base, being provided at its lower end with an enlarged rounded head 24 which engages the shoulder 15 to therebyretain the parts in connect-ed relation, the lower end of the pin terminating inwardly from the lower surface of the base 10. The curvature of the head 24: is upon the same radius as that of thebase ofthe cup member and the washer.

The surface of the pin between the shoulder 21 and the head 24 is flared, as at 25, so that while a substantial shoulder is provided to abut the washer 23 during the driving operation the flared surface is such that it will engage the flared wall 16 of the opening let in the tilted relation in parallel relation therewith, as shown in Fig. 6, limiting the tilting action with a minimum of strain upon the parts, and permitting of a maximum tilt, without sacrifice of strength.

The portion of the pin above the base of the cup member is of slightly smaller diameter than the portion below the cup, its outer surface being cylindrical and of the same diameter from the retaining flange 22 to its upper extremity. The upper end is sharpened by beveling the inner surface, as at 26, the sharpened edge preferably extending slightly above the points of the teeth 19.

The passage through the pin is drilled, the pin being preferably produced on a screw machine. The usual rough drilling operation scores the surface of the passage, producing a series of annular grooves, as indicated at 27 in the enlarged fragmentary view, Fig. 7 and which serve to tightly bind and interlock with the portion of the furniture leg engaged in the passage, as will presently more fully appear.

The device is adapted to be driven into the furniture leg, preferably into the end grain of the wood, by hammer blows applied directly upon the tubular center pin, and without engaging the tilting base, and for this purpose a driving pin 28 is supplied with each set of rests. A shoulder 29 is provided at the upper end of the driving pin of sub stantially the diameter of the tubular center pin, and also there is provided a projecting stud 30 adapted to be inserted in the opening of the center pin, so that the latter is thereby rigidly connected and supported in axial relation upon the driving pin. The length of .the combined driving pin and rest is such that in driving the latter into the furniture leg the same may be accurately held in aligned relation with the leg during the driving, and the force of the blows is transmitted directly to the center pin, and also to the cup member through the shoulder 21.

The device is driven into the leg to a point where the edge of the continuous circle of metal forming the side wall 18 of the cup member enters the wood, as shown in Fig. 5, constituting a relatively large-diameter dowel embedded in the Wood to takeside strains and prevent sheering or loosening of the teeth, and also acting as a truss for the tubular pin, the large-diameter support afforded by the cup member against side strains relievin g the relatively small-diameter tubular pin from such strains as might otherwise tend to loosen its engagement in the wood.

The tubular pin, due to the beveled inner surface of the cutting edge and the cylindrical outer surface, enters the wood without exerting any outward splitting or cracking strains, the cylindrical out produced being no larger than the outer diameter of the tube. At the same time a dowel 31 of the wood is compressed and wedged within the tube, and due to the natural elasticity of the wood this dowel exerts a constant outward pressure against the inner wall of the tube and effectually resists outward pull on the device, the large diameter cup member cooperating, as above pointed out, to resist side strains and consequent tendency to loosen this relation in the use of the device. The wood dowel furthermore enters into interlocking relation with the drill grooves 27, thereby increasing the resistance to outward pulling strains.

The compression of the dowel is twice the thickness of the wall of the tubular pin, or in other words with a tube having a wall thickness of .020 of an inch, the dowel is compressed .040 of an inch. In practice it has been found with these dimensions that upon removing the device from the wood the dowel would increase about .015 in diameter, showing that a constant outward retaining pres sure is exerted due to the elasticity of the wood. The wood grain lines shown at 32 Figs. 4, 5 and 6, clearly show the manner in which the tubular pin compresses the wood dowel, without exerting outward strains on the surrounding wood structure.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A. furniture rest, comprising a floor engaging base, attaching means adapted to be driven into a furniture leg or the like and including a tubular stud adapted to enter the material of the furniture leg and adapted to cut a dowel of said material of a diameter corresponding to its outer diameter and to compress said dowel within it to correspond to its inner diameter, means adapted to engage the leg in outwardly spaced relation to said stud to support the latter against side strains, and a plurality of teeth carried by said means and adapted to be driven into the leg.

2. A furniture rest, comprising a floor engaging base, attaching means adapted to be driven into a furniture leg or the like and including a tubular stud adapted to enter the material of the furniture leg and adapted to cut a dowel of said material of a diameter corresponding to its outer diameter and to compress said dowel within it to correspond to its inner diameter, and means secured to said stud including an annular flange in outwardly spaced relation to said stud and adapted to have its edge embedded in the leg to support the stud against side strains.

3. A furniture rest, comprising an apertured floor engaging base, and an attaching l element including a tubular stud having an upper end adapted to be driven into the material of the furniture leg and a lower end disposed in said aperture of the base, and adapted to have a driving element rigidly connected thereto. r

4. A furniture rest, comprising an apertured floor engaging base, and an attaching element adapted to be driven into the material of the furniture leg and having a tubular portion disposed in said aperture of the base, and adapted to have a driving element inserted therein.

5. A furniture support comprising a floor engaging base, and an attaching element therefor, adapted to be driven in a solid wood furniture leg or the like, and including a rigid stud having a continuous upper cutting edge, a tubular dowel confining wall below said cutting edge comprising an outer surface parallel to the axis of said stud andextending downwardly from said cutting edge and an inner dowel confining surface below said cutting edge, and a driving portion below said wall, said confining wall adapted to receive and confine a solid cut dowel of the leg therein as said cutting edge is driven a substantial distance into the leg with the grain of the wood longitudinal to the vertical axis of said stud, said dowel being compressed within said confining wall from a diameter corresponding to the outer surface of said confining wall to a diameter corresponding to the inner confining wall surface. 7

6. A furniture support comprisinga. floor engaging base, and an attaching element therefor, adapted to be drivenin a solid wood furniture leg or the like, and including a rigid stud having a continuous upper cutting edge, a tubular dowel confining wall below said cutting edge comprising an outer surfaceparallel to the axis of said stud and extending downwardly from said cutting edge'and'an inner surface having an upper portion inclined inwardly and downwardly from said cutting edge and a dowel confining surface below said upper inclined portion, and a driving portion below said wall, said confining wall adapted to receive and confine a solid cut dowel of the leg therein as said cutting edge is driven a substantial distance into-the leg with the grain of the wood longitudinal to the vertical axis of said stud, said dowel being compressed within said confining wall from a diameter corresponding to the outer surface of said confining wall to a diameter corresponding to the inner confining wall surface.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, this 26th day of October, 1928. V

WALTER F. HEROLD. 

